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Dear American Kosher Council, I was shocked and even outraged when I received your letter last week. We have been customers of the CRC for many years and our customers rely on our CRC kosher documentation which consists of a large part of our business. Your AKC letter refers to Rabbi Schwartz, the head of the CRC issuing bogus religious documents. Well, this is very important to me and my company, as we also rely on religious documentation. Our staff contacted the three Jewish Courts listed which were: A) Shar Mamishpot in New York B) American Beth Din in Kansas C) Bais Din Hagodol in New York Each Jewish Court ruled and confirmed that Rabbi Schwartz has indeed issued bogus religious documents and a ruling of excommunication has even been given against him. Well I have to figure that there is some mistake, so I call the CRC and spoke to someone in their kosher department. I ask if it is true that Rabbi Schwartz has been ruled against by three separate Jewish courts for issuing bogus documents. The response I got was that the webmaster who created the AKC is going through a terrible divorce (according to his ex-wife). I think, perhaps he didn’t hear me correctly, so I ask again; this time he tells me that the webmaster is just a little kid who lives in a basement and wears pajamas. I repeat my question again and finally the Rabbi tells me that Rabbi Schwartz has very little to do with Kosher, but does not answer if the rulings against Schwartz is valid or not. Rabbi Schwartz’s name is all over the CRC website as the ‘top dog’ including the kosher section of their website.    I like straight answers to my questions, especially where my business is concerned. I know with my business, I do not hire people with criminal backgrounds, he would not be employed at my company. I don’t see how you can have the head person at the CRC being found guilty of issuing bogus religious documents and blow it off because some 8 year old in a custody dispute wearing pajamas who lives in his basement brought this fact to light.   Instead of blaming an 8 year old, I don’t see why the CRC just doesn’t resolve the problem and get rid of Schwartz. I didn’t hear the CRC deny that the rulings against Schwartz are false. Why would the CRC want to risk my businesses with having someone who has been found guilty of issuing bogus religious documents in their staff? This is what my company and my customers rely on. The CRC appears to know the truth, but does not want to do anything about it. Exchanging insults with an 8 year old is not what we would expect from educated rabbis. If anything, it only goes to show the CRC customers that this 8 year old kid is right. What’s worse, is that I have to think what would happen should I get into a kosher or financial dispute with the CRC. Are they going to call my ex-wife or want to discuss the DUI from my teenage son? Is this how Jewish Rabbis debate and settle arguments? Is this how the CRC Jewish Court works? Most everyone at my company is divorced once over and some as many as 3 or 4 times. Is this really the argument that is the answer to whether Rabbi Schwartz has issued bogus religious documents? Really?! For the CRC kosher inspector that I spoke to; to try and defend Schwartz, who they obviously know is wrong makes me wonder what other wrong decisions they are making. Whether this comes to a head now or later, I don’t want to get involved in this mess and will be pulling my business from the CRC. There are enough kosher agencies that I don’t have to get involved in one who has and defends an employee like this. This reflects badly on all the staff at the CRC. The CRC should resolve this matter ASAP. Former CRC Customer *Profanity and business name withheld.

Dear Former CRC Customer As a business owner you have probably hired a bad apple at one time or another. All companies go through this turmoil. When you find a bad apple, how do you handle it? Here are some choices: Blame the table the apples are sitting on. Blame the photographer who might be going through a divorce. Blame some nearby 8 year old boy wearing pajamas.

We all know what to do when you find a bad apple. Would you allow a bad apple to be in charge of your organization? AKC

Dear Rabbi- I want to thank you for informing us of the shame of the cRc not being a valid Kosher Council.  We of course were not aware of any wrong doing and will immediately remove all Kosher symbols from our packaging.  We will also be looking for a new Council to give us certification as soon as possible. I do have a question, since I am not of Jewish decent, about the ramifications of the symbol that is already been displayed on product that is no longer in our possession.  I do not want our company or our customers to be in any way violators of Jewish Law.  I would be grateful to get this information as soon as possible so that we can correspond with our customers about this injustice. Many Thanks, We understand about your company not being aware of the situation with Rabbi Schwartz and the CRC. It would have been much better for everyone involved if the CRC would have corrected this when they found out about it. Nevertheless, moving forward with a new kosher certification organization is the right thing to do. In all likelihood, as soon as you call a new kosher certification organization, they will work with you to make sure you are valid and kosher in post haste time. To avoid wasted packaging, applying a sticker of your new kosher organization symbol over the CRC symbol, which is much cheaper than ordering new packaging, but speak with your new kosher organization first. I apologize sincerely about the behavior of the CRC. Please understand that not all kosher certification companies are the same. Sincerely AKC